


Getting Familiar

by LamiasLuck



Series: In Another Life (AUs) [3]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Assassins & Hitmen, Blood Magic, Dragons, Familiars, Forests, Gen, Magic-Users, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2020-10-14 18:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20605484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LamiasLuck/pseuds/LamiasLuck
Summary: Familiars are an important aspect for every upcoming magic-user. In fact, a familiar is what unlocks a person's full powers and sets them up on the road of magic and adventure! So many are eager to get a magical companion of their own, but the familiars in question must deem the magic-user worthy in order to bond with them. No matter how adventurous or domestic one's life is, every magic-user is accompanied with a magical creature to help with their daily endeavours.This is a collection of stories to showcase what chaos the egos get into in this magical world! No two lives are the same, and every ego has their own story!





	1. The Key for Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Host has waited a long time to get his familiar, letting his mind mature to prepare for the new powers. But is he as ready as he thinks? Can he handle the responsibility? He and his brother have an unspoken of history of reckless magic, so will he be able to push that aside and get his first familiar?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Host and the Author are brothers in this btw.

The day started with a long journey to the woods. It wasn’t just any old forest though, it was the forest where the Host would get his first familiar. He was accompanied by his brother, the Author, in his endeavour. The twins would have travelled in silence, if not for the Author occasionally speaking his mind.

“Maybe a wolf or a tough creature will find you,” the Author said. His own familiar, Licht, decided to land and perch on his shoulder. The tiny dragon ruffled her feathers while stretching her bat-like wings. An odd rumble came from Licht as the Author ran a finger through her coarse, dark feathers.

“The Host is not picky. Which ever familiar deems him worthy matters not to him.” The Host wasn’t much for conversation during their travels. Getting a familiar was supposed to be a monumental feat for magic users, but the Host knew that his nerves weren’t nerves of excitement. Having a familiar meant having more power. Even in its weaker state, the Host’s power helped him tremendously, who knows what could happen if they got stronger.

There was a culture surrounding familiars that the Host wasn’t fond of. _ Get one as soon as possible. _It was quite… irresponsible in the Host’s opinion. While his brother got Licht fairly early, he wanted to let his mind mature before getting his first familiar. Stronger powers could lead to impulsive decisions. Reckless power has lead to severe consequences before, afterall.

The Host mindless adjusted the bandages draped over his eye sockets. The Author couldn’t help but glance at his brother’s movements, eyes lingering on those bloody bandages before he snapped his gaze to the ground. He knew why he stared, he stared at those bandages because they were a damned reminder for his mistakes. 

“Are you nervous?” The Author’s tone was serious, his lips quirked downward in a deep frown. They could see their destination on the horizon. 

“The Host worries that he’s not ready for the responsibility.” With every step closer to the forest, he could feel his anxiety jump.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine. Last time I checked, you’re not known for fucking things up.” He forced an awkward smile in reassurance. “You’ll drive away all the familiars with this attitude, cut it out.”

They travelled the rest of their journey in tense silence. Eventually, the brothers stood before the forest where wild familiars live in. The very air surrounding the place felt heavy, rich with different types of magic coursing through the roots of the trees. 

The Host hesitated while narrating his surroundings quietly, his feet planted firmly in place. 

“You can’t wait forever, Host,” the Author said. “Just go. Get it over with.”

“The Host will… just let him collect his barings.” His voice was soft, as if he was afraid of the harmless forest. He fidgeted with his bandages again.

“Alright, just don’t collect them for too long. I don’t want to be here all day,” the Author snapped, crossing his arms and huffing.

“The Host apologizes.” 

The Author paused. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air, taking the time to get rid of his tension. “No, don’t. I shouldn’t be snapping at you ‘cause of this. I know how all this is for you, but you shouldn’t worry about using magic recklessly.” His eyes glanced at his brother’s bandages again. “You’re not gonna fuck this up, not like me.”

“Now is not the time for that,” the Host interjected. “The Host should get going now. Is the Author sure that he wants to stay out here and wait?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” Licht made a small roar-like sound in agreement. “We’ll be right here when you get back.”

“Very well, stay safe.” The Host began to make his way into the forest, but before he could get far the Author called out to him again.

“Hey, Host?” The Host turned his head towards his brother’s call. “Good luck out there! Be sure to show me what new powers you get when you come back.”

The Host gave a warm smile. “Of course!”

Quiet narrations were the only sounds that could be heard throughout the forest. The Host was expecting other magic users to be roaming around him, but was pleasantly surprised with peaceful solitude. Though being alone didn’t exactly help his objective. 

Hours of wandering aimlessly around the forest lead to nothing. Not even a single rustle of a bush or other signs of life. The Host exhaled loudly before sitting down on the grass below. It was typical for the process of receiving a familiar to take a while, but at this point his legs were screaming for rest. He stopped his narrations momentarily as he rested, using the time to take in the sounds of the forest.

The Host heard a high-pitched whine in the distance. It sounded tiny, not too far off in the distance. A small animal must have gotten hurt!?

Before the Host could get up again, he felt something small tackle his back. It didn’t hurt, but it sure was startling judging by how the Host stumbled forward with a yelp. He was quick to narrate his surroundings and attacker, whipping his head every which direction.

To his surprise, his attacker was a tiny dragon. Slightly tinier than Licht, with short, sleek royal purple feathers covering her entire body. The creature was fluttering in front of him with yellow feathered wings… and the saddest look he’s ever seen on an animal in its big, golden eyes. 

This could be it. This could be the Host’s familiar.

“What’s wrong?” The Host was met with another soft whine from the dragon. This time, however, she flew closer to him and weakly tugged on his coat sleeve with her mouth. “The dragon wishes for the Host to follow her,” he said, more of a statement than a question. Nonetheless it resulted in the dragon to let out a distressed, but definitive roar.

The Host got up to follow the dragon. They travelled at a rushed pace, with the dragon flying a few feet in front of the Host. She occasionally turning her head back to see if the Host was still following her, and was delighted every time she saw the man still trailing behind her. Eventually she lead him to a random part of the forest. Upon first reaction the Host found nothing out of the ordinary. However, his narrations picked up on a glowing orb wedged between the branches of a tree. The apparent cause of the dragon’s distress since she quickly flew up and tried to pull it free, but she was too weak on her own.

While the orb was stuck, it wasn’t far from reach. The Host could easily reach up and grab it for the poor creature. When he reached up to grab, however, the dragon growled and nipped at his hand. He let out a surprised yelp and recoiled his hand. The dragon had tiny, but pointy teeth that pierced his skin. As he cradled his hand to his chest, he noticed that the dragon was now staring at him with wary eyes and trying to protect the orb the best she could.

“Alright… So the dragon does not want the Host to touch her orb?”

Another low rumble, clearly a warning.

“Okay, okay, don’t worry, the Host wants to help,” he reassured, though the dragon didn’t calm down in the slightest.

The branches that the orb was wedged between were incredibly thick, impossible to break since the Host had nothing on hand. His narrations were strong enough to overcome his lack of eyes, but they weren’t strong enough to help in this scenario. 

He took some time to ponder a solution. His narrations told him that there were various branches of different sizes scattered around him, and he was quick to find a way to put them to use. There was a sturdy branch resting on the forest’s floor. It felt heavy in the Host’s hand, reminding him of his brother’s metal bat in a way. Hopefully it was just as strong.

The dragon trembled slightly as the Host returned while holding the branch he picked up. She cradled her orb as best she could, protecting it. 

“The Host wants to help,” he repeated. “Be sure to hold onto the orb while he works.” 

It was a simple plan, but an effective one. The Host wedged the branch between where the orb was stuck and used it as leverage to push the tree branches apart, slightly lessingly the pressure trapping the orb. Before he knew it, the dragon pulled her orb free in an ungraceful display of fluttering and flipping backwards. Nonetheless, she let out a cheerful, high-pitched roar in celebration, hugging her orb close like her life depended on it. 

As the Host tossed away the branch he used, the dragon took the time to bump her head against his chest in gratitude. She acted similar to a housecat much to his amusement. 

“The Host is glad he could help,” he said, a relieved smile appearing on his lips. However, he tensed when the dragon fluttered up so that she was face to face with him, analysing his features. Or perhaps she was looking at something deeper within? Not even his narrations could tell. 

He wasn’t sure what was happening, but the dragon’s body suddenly began to glow a brilliant shade of purple. She was also chirping happily as she started to fly circles around the Host. 

“What’s going on…? The Host-” He gasped for breath as an intense surge of power abruptly coursed through his veins. He pressed his back against a nearby tree and clutched his chest, only capable of breathing shaky breaths. It was… so much, his mind was swarming in a mix of panic and magic. Unbeknownst to him, he was spewing his narrations at an incoherent speed. Never stuttering, voice perfectly steady. An organized chaos. 

Unlike his regular narrations, these words held new power. His words physically formed around him in an odd, inky state. Narrations told a frantic story of new sensations and new possibilities, but it was all unheard by the speaker’s ears. The Host eventually picked up on his words and had to cover his mouth with his hand, not before muttering one last phrase.

“The Host’s journey is over. His powers have fully formed with the addition of his new familiar.” 

Jumbled up words floated around the two in a deafening silence. The dragon looked at the words curiously, reaching out and patting the ink with her paws. The black ink never stained her, instead it bounced off her paw in an almost gelatinous state. She looked back at the Host, who still was covering his mouth and trying to calm his powers. There was blood dyeing his eye bandages a dark shade of red and even more blood running down his face. 

A soft whine erupted from the dragon as she began to nudge at the Host’s free hand. The Host mindlessly pet his familiar’s head, having some solace carding his fingers through her soft feathers. A small smile appeared on his face when he heard her purr, finally uncovering his mouth after calming down.

“The Host is glad to have a familiar this kind,” he muttered, out of breath from the stress his voice went through. “He hopes that they continue on strong in their endeavours.” 

Inky words still floated around them. The Host took one of the words, “Unfamiliarity”, and ran his thumb across the letters, the ink repelled his skin like oil to water. Fascinating, sure, but he didn’t want his narrations to constantly surround him all the time. With how much he needed to speak, he’ll be surrounded in black every time he wakes up in the morning. He still felt weak from the new power, perhaps this was something he could regulate in the future.

“The words around the Host disappeared into nothingness.” Immediately, the ink vanished without a trace. He sighed and leaned the back of his head against the tree. Every narration held more power than he was used too, a dull headache began to make itself known. He was tired, to say the least. “As much as the Host would like to figure out his new magic, his brother is waiting outside this forest. Come on, let’s get going.”

It took a while to get out of the forest, but the Host powered on through scattered narrations and the guidance of his familiar. By the time he stumbled upon the Author, who was napping against a tree with Licht standing guard, his headache became mind numbing and he was surrounded by a few stray sentences. Licht let out a cheer-like roar and nudged the Author awake. 

The Author stirred awake and blinked his eyes. “Host…?” He scrambled to his feet and rushed towards his brother. “Host! You’re back!” As soon as the Author got close enough, the Host collapsed onto his brother, who stumbled back as he supported his weight. “You look like shit…” 

“Thanks.” The Host rested his head on his brother’s shoulder. Neither of them cared about the blood staining the Author’s shirt. Instead, the Author stared at the floating words and fluttering dragon. 

“You did it-! Holy shit, you did it!” The Author let out an airy laugh in disbelief. “How do you feel?”

“Tired.”

“Yeah, that’s not surprising.” The Author slowly guided the Host so that he was sitting by a tree. “It takes some getting used to, but don’t worry. I’ll help you out.”

This time the Host could only hum in response. Both his familiar and Licht sat on either side of him, comforting him in silence. 

“The dragon’s cute.” She certainly won’t intimidate anyone, especially when next to Licht. Looking at his brother’s familiar and Licht was like looking at night and day. The new dragon didn’t look as aggressive as Licht, with softer features and an innocent look. There was only one similarity between the two, golden eyes contrasted their dark colours, both holding different emotions but captivating nonetheless. “What’re you gonna name it?”

The Host paused before answering. Whether that was because of his fatigue or if he needed to think was unknown. “Key,” he eventually muttered. “As she is the key to moving forward.”

“I didn’t strike you as a pun guy,” the Author laughed, though he wouldn’t admit out loud that he liked the name.

“The Host is full of surprises.”

“Then you better surprise me by getting up soon. We don’t want to be here when it’s night.” There was no bite to his words as he sat beside his brother. The day was still young, so there was no rush to make it home, but the idea of returning to a soft bed was more and more tantalizing as the minutes passed.

Without warning, the words floating around the Host disappeared.

“Did… did you do that?” The Author looked at his brother, only to realize that he was out cold. “Oh shit, he should be fine, right?” He looked at the two dragons with widened eyes. Licht looked just as panicked, but Key didn’t worry in the slightest. Instead, she curled up on the Host’s lap and snuggling her orb close as she started to snooze as well. The Author let out a sigh as he leaned back against the tree, not wanting to force his brother to overexert himself. “I guess we’ll be here awhile, huh? Great.”

The Author kept glancing at his sleeping brother more often than not. He didn't dare to fall asleep again while his brother was in such a state, his nerves wouldn't let him even if he wanted to. After fidgeting to himself, he got his notebook and pen and began to scribble in it. A cloth appeared on his lap before he could shut his notebook closed. He cautiously wiped the excess blood off his brother's face, frowning at the already drying red. If he was this worried then he couldn't imagine how the Host felt, but he knew they could get through this.

With the Host's face relatively clean and both dragons sleeping contently, the Author waited. He waited for his brother to wake up again so they could go home. He waited while he saw their newest life unfold before him like the stories in his book.


	2. The Customer's Always Right!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bim noticed a new potion shop being set up in town. What perfect timing! Hopefully this new shopkeeper can handle Bim's requests. 
> 
> Oh, the new shopkeeper's shy as hell and can barely utter a sentence? Uh oh.

Apparently there was a new potion maker in town. At least, that was what Bim heard and judging by the new shop being set up, he assumed the new shopkeeper knew what they were doing. Which was perfect because it just so happened that Bim needed a special potion for his job.

The shop was cozy as Bim walked in, a little chime sounding off as he opened the doors. He was accompanied by his weasel familiar, Junior, who was gracefully draped around his neck like a scarf. Soft beige walls complemented the shelves displaying colourful potions. A few stray flower pots were scattered around as well, clumsily placed but well taken care of. There was only one thing missing from this setting, the shopkeeper.

“Hello?” Bim called out. Junior sniffed the air for any signs of life. Before he could inform Bim of anything, a young man stumbled out of the backroom. 

“Hi! I’m, I’m so sorry, sir!” The man looked disheveled to say the least. He was shaking from limp to limp while cradling a weaved basket holding a white lop bunny. “I… I-I was working on… on some orders. ‘M sorry.” Luckily, the shop was quiet, otherwise Bim wouldn’t have heard his meek voice. 

“So _ you’re _the new potion maker?” Bim shamelessly checked him out with a skeptical look. The man was wearing a patterned button-up shirt that matched the flowers in the room and wore a pair of round glasses he constantly had to adjust. “Interesting.” 

“Yeah, um, I just moved here…” The shopkeeper fidgeted under Bim’s gaze. He could barely look Bim in the eyes, quickly shuffling over to a nearby counter and placing the basket with his familiar on it. “Did, did you need something?”

“Oh, right! I was looking for something that could help with my work. Some under the table stuff, if you catch my drift.”

The shopkeeper only gave Bim a look of confusion. “Um… I’m sorry, s-sir. I don’t understand.” Somehow his voice got more shaky in its tone. Bim couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.

“Seriously? Are you playing dumb with me?” Bim huffed when the shopkeeper shook his head. Junior let out a laugh-like chitter at the display. “Poison. I need poison,” he bluntly said.

“W-What?! Why… why do need stuff like that?! I don’t - I’m sorry, I don’t sell anything dangerous…” He visibly paled, now picking at the hem of his shirt. 

Bim swore under his breath. He was requested to “deal with someone” with poison, and he was never one to question his clients. However, he didn’t realize how hard it was to make. There was another potion shop was a couple towns away, a four day trip. He needed poison in three days. Impatience coursed through his veins, he twitched his fingers, and the shopkeeper felt something else course through his. 

“What… what are you doing?” His skin itched with a sensation he had never felt before. His heart pumped faster, the blood rapidly flowing through his veins even though he wasn’t exerting himself in anyway. Wide eyes stared back at Bim’s unreadable ones. There was a faint red mist wrapped around Bim’s fingers, with every slight twitch it got increasingly difficult to breath. “Sir… please-”

“Such a pretty face you’re making,” Bim interrupted, flashing a toothy smile. His jagged, lethal teeth only added to the shopkeeper’s terror. “If only my client let me do my own thing. I wouldn’t need to do this menial work,” Bim muttered to himself, but he could still be heard. He clasped his hands together and the shopkeeper felt instantly relieved from his magic. “Can I place an order, then? I can pay you double if that makes you feel better.” 

“Um… I still wouldn’t be able to make it…”

“Oh come on!” Bim sighed and stepped closer to the shopkeeper, who backed away until his back hit a counter. “I have to take care of this guy one way or another. You don’t need to play the good guy here.”

“I-It’s not just that I swear-! I mean I… I don’t have the ingredients.”

“Can’t you just get them? There’s magic stuff laying around everywhere!”

“Um, well… what you need is in a cave and… and there’s monsters in there. I can’t fight, so it wouldn’t end well if I went in there. Th-Though this doesn’t, doesn’t seem like it’s gonna end well...” He looked up at Bim with a shaky smile. “Please don’t kill me,” he begged.

“It’s awfully brave of you to admit you’re completely defenseless in front of me.” Bim found himself pitying the other’s submissive expression. “I don’t _ want _ to kill you. Whether or not I _ need _to is still on the table, but let’s ignore that for now, okay?” Bim smiled when he was only met with a frantic nod. “You’re great with customers, you know that? How about this: I come back here tomorrow and go with you to that cave. I’ll make sure no monster hurts you or that cute little rabbit of yours.” 

Another nod. Bim gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, ignoring the other’s scared whimper.

“Alright, then! I’ll come here around this time tomorrow. Don’t try anything funny now…um,” Bim trailed off as he remembered something. “Where are my manners? I haven’t even asked what your name is! I’m Bim, by the way.” 

“Eric,” the shopkeeper squeaked. Bim eagerly shook his clammy hands.

“Okay, Eric,” Bim practically purred out his name. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”

True to his word, Bim returned the next day. The same smile, the same devilish attitude in tact. Eric had no clue what to expect. He just moved into this, supposedly quiet, town and he has already been threatened for his life. 

“Heya Eric! How’re you?” Bim was still wearing his suit, which confused Eric. He said that they needed to go to a cave, right?

“I’m okay.” Eric still couldn’t look Bim in the eyes, fidgeting under the other’s chipper tone. He put on a shoulder bag for ingredients and allowed his familiar, Tulip, to hop in there as well. The rabbit cowered and hid within the fabric as Bim stepped closer. 

“Shall we get going, then? I don’t want this to take too long.”

Once they solidified their plan and destination, Eric obediently followed Bim’s trail. For most of the trip he kept his head down, not daring to utter a word that might get him in trouble. He made his frame as small as possible, shoulders hunched and hands gripping the strap on his bag like a lifeline. Bim found himself pitying the other much more that he thought we would. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, Eric. I think we’re passed that now,” Bim abruptly said. Eric snapped out of his thoughts to look at the other with wide eyes. 

“O-Okay…”

“I’ll admit, I’m not sure how to deal with innocent types.” Bim let out an airy laugh. “And _ maybe _I went a tad too far with the whole,” he waved his hands to help communicate his point, “Almost giving you heart palpitations and whatnot. To be fair, that’s usually how I deal with things so I’m sure you understand.”

Eric didn’t understand in the slightest but nodded his head nonetheless. There was some relief in the fact that he wasn’t going to die at least. Though he didn’t want to find out what would happen if he tried to abandon this mission. They travelled the rest of their trip in silence, eventually standing before a dark cave. 

A small lantern held by Bim was the duo’s only source of light. Eric found himself flinching at the slightest sounds while Bim kept his perfect composure. Once they were deep enough in the cave Eric got Tulip out of his bag and placed her on the ground.

“Can you find some Lightfade, please?” It was the single ingredient that could turn a potion from pleasant to deadly, deceptively pretty with its light blue iridescent fungi form. Tulip scrunched her nose in disgust, upset that this wasn’t an ingredient she could snack on. Still, after a couple pats from Eric, she hopped in front of the duo to lead them. 

“Your familiar’s so cute,” Bim cooed. 

“Yeah Tulip, um, s-she helps a lot with the… the ingredients.” Eric smiled while looking at his familiar. He noticed her constantly shying away from Bim, making sure she stayed close to Eric. Her behaviour didn’t surprise him, but he couldn’t tell if she acted like this because of her general timidness or if she was threatened by Bim. 

“Oh, Junior helps me look for stuff too! He only has a nose for other people, which saves me so much time. He’s such a bastard though.” Bim lifted his arm and Junior poked his head out of his sleeve. The weasel looked at Bim and squealed. “Hey! Don’t you scream at me,” he scolded, poking Junior’s head back in his sleeve while laughing.

There was a quiet giggle before Eric covered his mouth with his hand, muttering a muffled apology. Bim felt guiltier and guiltier by the minute.

“Hey, it’s alright,” he reassured. “Let’s get this ‘Lightfade’ and get out of here.” 

A few minutes passed and Tulip hopped towards one of the cave’s corners before stomping her foot repeatedly. Eric went to investigate and saw Tulip sniffing at a cluster of blue glowing mushrooms. 

“Good job,” Eric praised while petting the rabbit. He carefully plucked the mushrooms while kneeling next to Tulip. The deadly mushrooms were placed in another pouch in Eric’s bag while Tulip hopped back inside. He turned back to Bim. “Um… this sh-should be enough for one potion. I-I have the, uh, t-the other ingredients and-and my magic…”

“That’s pretty impressive, y’know? This town’s gonna love you!” A part of him was surprised that such an innocent face managed to stumble upon the town. This area wasn’t necessarily the most… welcoming, afterall. 

“I hope- I hope so…” Would he be able to find another place to live if not? Probably not, unfortunately, he had to put all his eggs in one basket for this. “I- Wait, w-what was that?!”

Through the corner of his eyes, Eric saw a shadow creep within the darkness. He instinctively cowered closer to Bim’s side, who tried to shine the lantern towards their unwanted onlooker. A deep, guttural growl sounded off in the distance, but not far away enough to make them feel safe. Bim hummed, amused, before raising his free arm. That same red mist Eric saw earlier appeared and wrapped around Bim’s arm. The growl turned into a low whine and there was a sudden thud. Bim turned back to Eric, the lantern adding an ominous shine to his jagged smile.

“Just a little pest, nothing some bursted arteries can’t fix,” he said with a wink. “Come on, we got what we needed. Let’s get out of here before you have a heart attack.” 

“Can I watch you make it?” Bim asked as he watched Eric gather various other ingredients around his shop.

Eric paused from inspecting his materials. “Um… it-it’s not that, not that exciting.”

“Well, I still wanna watch.” He winced slightly as Eric flinched. Damn, he really needs to tone down the whole “I might kill you if you look at me wrong” attitude. “I always thought potion making was interesting! This town hasn’t had someone like you in so long.”

Eric nodded and began shuffling through cupboards again. He handed Bim a surgical mask. “You can’t, um, can’t breathe in this potion too much,” he said while putting on his own mask. “A-And you should leave your fa-familiar out here. He might, might get hurt.”

Bim compiled by shaking Junior out of his sleeve and onto the floor. The weasel ungracefully flopped on his back, but Bim knew he wasn’t harmed. If anything, Junior squeaked in a playful matter. “Go make friends or something. Just don’t break anything or no snacks for a week, got it?” Junior squeaked again and went to play with Tulip, who seemed terrified of the weasel. 

“S-She’s real-really shy, sorry…”

“Like owner, like familiar, huh? How cute,” Bim giggled. Eric lead him to the backroom. It was similar to the rest of the shop, the calm atmosphere juxtaposed what was about to happen. All the windows had to be opened before Eric turned on the stove he had. It was almost like he was making a stew, with how he stirred a small pot of water and added random ingredients. Then he added the Lightfade and in an instant the liquid became an unnatural blue colour. 

“What does this taste like, anyways?” Bim stared skeptically at the potion. There wasn’t a horrid smell lingering in the air, if anything there wasn’t any smell. 

“Um, from what I heard… It-It’s like tea, really mellow. If you drink m-more than a… a tablespoon, you’ll d-die.” He raised his shaking hands over the pot, a soft glow emanated from his hands as he closed his eyes. The potion bubbled with life and glowed. Eventually he put the liquid in a bottle after turning off the stove. “A-Are you sure you can’t like… talk this out? Do you, um, really need to, um… k-kill?”

“I don’t get paid to talk, friend.”

“Right…” There was a brief hesitation, but Eric finally gave Bim his potion. Signing away some poor soul’s life. “You can’t use the bottle again. It… the-the residue is still dangerous.”

“Oh, don’t worry! I always get rid of evidence,” Bim laughed and reached within his jacket. He then proceeded to hand Eric a huge stack of money without batting an eye. “You’re a good sport, you know that? Keep the change.”

“Wha… B-Bim this is too much…”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s what you deserve.” Eric couldn’t, nor wanted to argue as Bim promptly began to make his way out of the shop. “I’ll be sure to tell the others about you. Maybe a couple of them will visit you too. I know I’ll be back at some point.”

“Oh.” The _others?_ There’s _more? _That are going to_ visit? _

“You could really come in handy for stuff, though we’ll try to go easy on you. You’ve got quite the addictive personality too… oh wait, here.” Bim reached in his jacket again and gave Eric a business card. “If you want someone ‘taken care of’ you should give me a call, I’d love to hang out with you again!”

And with that, Bim and his familiar left. Leaving Eric and Tulip, who somehow jumped up onto a table mostly likely in a fit of panic. Now he had the number of an assassin and enough money to pay off any debts he had. 

“Did… is he a friend now? Is that how you make friends?” If Tulip had the ability to shrug, she surely would have. “I-I think I killed someone… I helped kill someone.” He just wanted to run a nice potion shop. Fate must think it’s funny to make him commit second-hand murder. He couldn’t find the heart to laugh along, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m fate, fate is me. I think it’s hilarious to make Eric commit crimes by accident. Be gay do crimes. 
> 
> Bim has blood magic and I accidently made the egos (except Eric) into a magical mafia basically. Oops lol
> 
> More to come! I hope y'all don't mind a lot of Eric stories, I just love him a lot


	3. A Touch of Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After meeting Him and realizing that the town had an unsettling dark side, Eric decides to spend some time with Tulip outside. The both of them could use some alone time to think about their situation. Unluckily for them, it turns out they aren't as alone as they thought.

Clockwise, counter clockwise, clockwise, counter clockwise… 

Eric found himself getting dizzy trying to follow Tulip’s movements. She was running circles around him while he sat cross legged on the soft grass below. The day was nice, so Eric figured that he could bring Tulip to a nearby forest to folick. Admittedly, he used it as an excuse to calm himself down, but who would blame him? This supposedly quiet town has already given him more than he could bargain for and it has only been a week. It was hard to wrap his head around the situation. At the very least, he assumed that there was some sort of crime group in the town. And by Bim’s nonchalant attitude towards murder, he knew that this group had loose morals.

Moving should be his next plan. Getting as far away from this town as possible was a welcomed goal, but an unreachable one. The plethora of money Bim gave him was enough to buy new potion supplies and tidy up the shop at least. However, he had nowhere near enough to buy a new place to live. Especially in a place far away enough from danger. He moved here to lay low, not to be threatened for his life all over again. 

So he needed more customers, but more customers also meant more threats. Potentially. If he treaded carefully, he could avoid future conflicts. But who knows what kind of person could walk through his shop’s doors next?

His breathing became much more shuddered than usual ever since he met Bim. It was like his usual panicked personality was exaggerated. Try as he might, nothing could fully calm him down. 

Tulip thumped her back legs loudly once she saw Eric zoning out. He flinched at the sound, but soon returned to his senses. Petting Tulip always somewhat calmed him down on days like this. The bunny hopped onto his lap and nudged her head against his stomach, taking full advantage of that fact. He let out a quiet giggle at the sight. As Tulip continued her attention seeking, he reached in his bag and pulled out a pouch filled with rose petals. Her favourite treats. The perfect reward for such undying support.

Unbeknownst to them, there was another onlooker creeping in the shadows. They let their presence be known by dashing between the bushes within a blink of an eye. Eric and Tulip froze in place as they stared at the source of the sound. The creature moved again, and for a brief moment, Eric saw a silhouette. Another rabbit.

“Oh… oh thank god-!” Eric let out a breathy laugh. “Tulip - Tulip it’s okay. It’s okay, Tulip, nothing to worry about.” He was about to calm down his familiar before the unknown rabbit jumped out of its hiding place. Tulip huddled herself closer to Eric as he let out a surprised yelp.

The creature looked more like a hare than a rabbit. Even then, it looked… off. Compared to Tulip, it made her look like a baby in size and stature. It also looked more hostile,  _ much  _ more hostile. If its jutting, sharp teeth and bloodshot red eyes were anything to go by. Eric hoped that the dirty red clumsily covering its body happened to be apart of its coat, and not its unforseen victim.

It hopped closer to the two, carefully sniffing the air. Eric did his best to put on a brave face and shield Tulip, but he had no clue how to help the situation. So he did what he did best.

“Pl-Please go… please don’t hurt us…”

Beg.

The hare must have not understood his pleads. Or it didn’t care. It kept creeping closer until it was face to face with Eric, eventually turning to look at the shivering bundle in his lap. As scared as Eric was, he never budged and shielded Tulip more. Nothing was going to stop him from protecting his familiar. Not even the creature’s dagger-like teeth. 

Eric screwed his eyes shut as the hare sniffed his face. It let out odd growls and snorts, but never hurt him. Yet. So long as Tulip didn’t get hurt, he didn’t care about his own wellbeing.

“Snuggles?!” An unknown voice sounded off in the distance. “Snuggles, where are you~? You little rascal!” The man’s voice laughed.

Within a minutes time, a brightly dressed man literally popped into existence. He paid no mind to Eric’s panicked state and focused on the hare. “Oh, there you are!”

“W-Who are you?!” Eric screamed. Tulip jumped from her spot in Eric’s lap and into his arms, startled by the overwhelming noises. 

“I should ask you the same thing, friend! Why, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” The pink clan man showed him a bright smile. He had an eye catching appearance, to say the least. Lots of pink, an upbeat attitude, and a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Exactly the type of person that would name a killer hare, _Snuggles._

All Eric could do was hyperventilate, eyes darting between the man and the hare. The man followed his gaze and finally connected the dots.

“Ah, I see. Did Snuggles scare you? I didn’t realize that he ran off.”

Eric gave a short nod, hugging Tulip close to his chest.

The man looked down at the hare with a stern look, huffing to himself. He made a few “tsk” noises at the hare to add to his scolding. “Now what did I tell you? You can’t make friends by scaring them.” Much to Eric’s surprise, the hare backed down at Wilford’s tone, pressing his ears to his head. After giving the hare what-for, he turned back to Eric with a softer expression. “My apologizes, friend, my familiar is a rambunctious fellow. My name is Wilford Warfstache, pleased to meet you!”

“Um, I… I’m Eric,” he muttered. He relaxed ever so slightly at Wilford’s friendly attitude. His name seemed to strike a chord in Wilford and he watched his confused expression cautiously.

“Eric?” Wilford pondered to himself for a moment before his eyes shone brightly once more. There might as well have been an actual lightbulb over his head as he remembered. “Right, Eric! The potion maker! Bim’s told me all about you.”

And now he was back at square one in terms of panic level. Hearing Bim’s name again made him visibly pale. “Did - Did he, um, what did he say about me?”

“He said you were quite the character! All innocent and cute, just like that little rabbit of yours.”

“Really?” Eric fidgeted at Wilford’s comment, even Tulip squirmed in his arms. He was confused as to why people kept casually complimenting him. But, then again, he probably would be considered cute when compared to a criminal. At least Bim wasn’t joking when he said he liked his personality. He clung onto any sense of relief in his situation, for his sanity’s sake.

“Yes, of course I’m not one to lie,” Wilford said with a cheeky smile. “I’ve been meaning to pay you a proper visit, but I suppose life wants to be a jokester.” He let out an awkward chuckle. “My dearest apologizes again. I hope I didn’t scare you too much.”

“It - It’s okay-! It’s not the first time…” And it won’t be the last. Not in this town. Eric got up and slung his bag over his shoulder, allowing Tulip to hide within the fabric. “I should - I should get going now. I closed up shop to be here… I shouldn’t - it’s selfish…”

“Nonsense, friend! You shouldn’t apologize for that,” Wilford reassured whilst patting Eric on the shoulder. The shorter man squeaked at the contact, but gave him a shaky smile as he looked up at him. “Everyone needs a break from the madness every once and awhile. Why don’t I walk you back? It’s the least I could do.”

There was a brief silence as Eric thought about Wilford’s suggestion. He looked at Wilford, then he looked at Snuggle’s red eyes, and he nodded. Maybe it was because Wilford was friendly or maybe it was because he didn’t want to risk immediately getting on his bad side. Wilford did know Bim afterall, there must be something darker hiding behind all that pink. Either way, they walked back to his shop side by side.

Besides the peaceful sounds of the passing breeze, Snuggles kept letting out these deep snorts as he twitched his nose at Eric’s bag. He knew these were happy noises, Tulip made the same noises, albeit a much softer version of them. Either way, Eric made sure to keep Tulip close to his chest.

“Aw~ Snuggles really likes your familiar! I’ve never seen him so excited,” Wilford said.

“Tulip’s really - really shy, um, so-sorry… She only trusts me,” Eric explained. 

“That’s okay, you two must have a good bond, then. How delightful! Snuggles and I are quite the pair as well, always eager to show off our powers.”

Eric didn’t want to know what kind of powers Snuggles had. His strong appearance was enough to make gruesome assumptions. He wondered how someone could compete with such a familiar, however. “So… so you can teleport?”

“I can do lots of things,” Wilford corrected. “Why, I bet I can do anything you can think of!” To showcase his point, his snapped his fingers and plethora of bubbles appeared from his palms. He giggled at Eric’s amazed reaction, popping a couple with his finger.

There were so many possibilities for such a power. “You can do everything?!” Eric had trouble contemplating them as he stared at the bubbles. They smelled faintly like cotton candy.

“A jack of all trades, some would say.” He snapped his fingers again and the rest of the bubbles popped in unison. “I do favour certain tricks, of course.” This time he pointed his hand in a finger gun, aiming at a large leaf. He mimicked a shooting motion and the leaf was ripped off the tree. The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the forest. Eric flinched at the sudden sound and screwed his eyes shut. By the time he opened them again, he saw that the leaf on the ground with a bullet shaped hole in the middle.

“O-Oh… oh my god.”

Wilford laughed again and blew off the wind from the barrel of his “gun”. “Snuggles still gives me a run for my money, y’know? Tough little guy!” He called for Snuggles and the hare immediately jumped into his arm. Snuggles - well - snuggled in his arms, happily grumbling as he pressed a kiss on his forehead.

If the blood on Snuggles’ coat didn’t exist, Eric would have thought that the familiar was cute. He calmed down exponentially since the gunshot, but he worried about the amount of power this town had. He only assumed that Wilford was apart of this crime circle. However, he didn’t dare to ask for closure. He didn’t have a death wish.

Their walk continued and before they knew it, they were right in front of the little shop’s door. Eric fished out his keys. “Did - did you need something? Um… you said you wanted to visit.”

“I suppose I just wanted some new company. I’d love to stay and chat, but I’m afraid I don’t have the time,” Wilford sighed. “I’m already late for a meeting.”

“Oh, that - that’s okay,” Eric rushed out his response. “I hope, um, I-I’m sorry for making you late…”

Wilford gave him another pat on the shoulder. “Nonsense, I’ll be fine. Dark will go easy on me, he’s never mad for too long.” 

Eric tilted his head at the name,  _ Dark.  _ The blunt title shocked him back to a reality he was already very aware of. There were more questions on his tongue, but he stayed silent in favour of being left in the dark. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of meeting someone deserving of that title.

“Bim was right about you, your personality is downright addicting! I’ll be sure to give you another visit when I have the time,” Wilford said. “You’ve sparked some curiosity amongst us actually.”

“I -  _ what?” _

“Ta-ta, Eric, until next time!” Wilford and Snuggles poofed away in the blink of an eye, leaving Eric with his last thought. 

After standing dumbfounded for a moment, he returned to his peaceful shop. Tulip poked her head out of his bag and sniffed the air with caution. With a shuddered sign, he let her rest on a table and sat down himself. This was only the tip of the iceberg. He didn’t want to think about his unforseen fate. Wilford was surprisingly nice, though a criminal could always put on a friendly face.

He rummaged through his bag again and pulled out the pouch of rose petals. Tulip ate the treat with fervor as Eric gave her a hefty clump. It was what she deserved after putting on a brave face. He watched with a smile, relieved that he lived to see such a wholesome sight. At this point, they both needed treats for their bravery. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone know the killer hare from the Legend of Monty Python movie? Well that's what Snuggles is based off of. I barely write Wilford so I have no clue what I'm doing lol
> 
> And yes, the main overall plot is going to be Eric meeting a bunch of dangerous people and them being pretty chill with his presence. There’s other plots I have planned of course, but it’s funny making Eric interact with a bunch of criminals.


	4. Dead Man's Prosecution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark needs information from a man they recently captured. Now, his methods of getting information aren't necessarily morally sound, but this takes it to a whole new level. It all requires a certain magic, necromancy. Good thing a certain doctor is more than capable of doing so.

The storage room was cold. 

“Please… please let me go…”

But the man strapped to the chair was sweating bullets.

Dark and Edward sat across from the struggling man with their respective familiars close by. A pitch black boa constrictor for Dark and a looming vulture for Edward. Both men looked unphased by the man’s presence. Nothing they haven’t seen before, after all. Edward decided to make the most out of his work day, occasionally jotting down notes of the man’s condition.

A keen eye noticed the man’s left arm twitch and strain more against the bides.

“His left arm’s fractured,” Edward muttered while writing another note down.

Dark tiled his head. The man hunched under his analysing gaze. “I thought they were healed.”

“Repeated breaking of bones will slow down the process.” Edward didn’t bother to look up at the scene as he was too focused on his observations. He especially didn’t care when he heard the man blubber more.

“I swear I don’t know anything… I-I swear it,” the man mumbled, words slurring together.

“Shut up.” Dark’s familiar coiled tighter around her victim, resulting in a breathless gasp. She squeezed around his arm, straining it to the point where there was an echoing pop.

The man let out a choked scream. Music to his attacker’s ears.

“Well now his bone’s fucked again.” Edward huffed out a bit of laughter, shaking his head as he continued to write.

It was the classic situation. Someone owes Dark a favour and couldn’t pull through. Hiding was the coward’s way out, but damn was it fun to find them. This man seemed to have close relations to the culprit. Probably, at least. Either way, Dark was bored to all hell, and Edward could always use an autonomy observation. 

“Celine, come back.” The snake untangled herself from the mess of a man, slithering over until she could drape herself over Dark’s shoulders. “You’re a sturdy one. I’ll give you that, Mr. Thompson.”

Edward didn’t even know the guy’s name now that he thinks of it. Not like it mattered anyways.

“However, I’m growing quite tired of this child’s play,” Dark growled as he cracked his neck, aura flaring with its distinct ring.

The healing potion they used was strong, made the fun last much longer than he hypothesized. He’d have to ask Bim to get more from his supplier. Though, whatever was going to happen next wasn’t going to be fixed with a mere drink.

A long, wispy tendril protruded from Dark’s back. He let it linger behind him for a moment, allowing the man’s eyes to follow its every curl and twitch. Then, it sprang forward, impaling the man right dead center in his chest. 

Dark sat unaffected by the man’s guttural gasps. Whatever pleads came from his shaking lips mattered not. Eventually he slumped over in his chair. Dark removed the tendril and let it dissipate into smoke. The man’s wound bled profusely. 

“Is he dead, doctor?” he said, voice monotonous. 

Edward looked at the body, then at Dark. “You don’t need me to tell you that.” 

They stared at the body in silence. There was no information said yet, but the day was far from over. Edward’s vulture nipped at his leg, ruffling her feathers. “Yes, I know he’s dead, Jekyll. Hold on.” He looked at Dark and the entity gave a slight nod of his head. “Alright, let’s get started then.”

A dead man can’t feel pain, so Edward felt no remorse when he harshly grabbed Mr. Thompson by the hair and yanked up. Cold, empty eyes stared at him, mouth slightly ajar with blood running down his chin. Same old, same old.

An ice blue light emitted from his hand as he began to work. It engulfed the two of them, but Edward could see his affect as clear as day. While the blood didn’t get cleaned, the man’s wound began to close. Surely his organs were repairing themselves and his blood was being replaced at rapid speeds. Completely unnatural, but Edward didn’t work by natural means. 

The man twitched. Then, he jolted in his chair and gasped for breath. 

Edward stepped back from his work, the light fading completely. The man looked frantically around the room. The realization that this wasn’t a dream must have set in, if his broken sob was anything to go by.

“Welcome back,” Dark greeted. He hummed to himself, enjoying the sight. “Let’s pick up where we left off.”

This routine was normal. A cycle of death and resurrection. Edward came in handy for such a task. He was a doctor by trade, yes, but bringing people to life was _ technically _helping them, right?

“Wh-What the fuck…? Let me go, you’re insane-!”

That’s what he tells himself, anyways. 

Dark’s suit became a darker shade as he withdrew his tendril from the man’s throat. He panted from the strain on his back, but kept his intimidating aura in check. Mr. Thompson sputtered and slumped over for the fourth time this night. Dark unbuttoned his suit jacket and tossed it on his chair, looking at Edward once more. “Doctor.”

Edward sighed loudly, but stood up nonetheless. “You’re killing me, Dark. I’m getting tired.”

“Just one more time then this will be over.” 

By the time Dark finished wiping the blood off his face, Mr. Thompson was jerking against his binds again. He looked tired and barely moved after the adrenaline of reanimation settled down. He looked up at Dark with fear in his eyes. Yet he still stayed quiet. He was a loyal man, but terribly idiotic.

“We can do this all day.” Dark rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. “Not even death can save you.” 

Every victim of Dark cried eventually. This man was no different. 

The feeling of Jekyll sitting on his lap was more entertaining to Edward than the blubbering man in front of him. He ran his fingers through his coarse feathers, cooing softly at Jekyll’s chirps. At least the guy was saying something important. Not like it was Edward’s job, though. 

Dark looked satisfied with the man’s cooperation after a plethora of pleads. 

“There,” Mr. Thompson huffed, “You got your fucking info! Let me go-”

He didn’t get so much as a scream in. About a dozen tendrils appeared, and all of them stabbed the man mercilessly. The sheer impact made his chair tip over in a bloody heap. 

Dark got rid of his magic with a click of his tongue. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

_ “Dark,” _ Edward whined. “I really don’t want to fix _ all _that,” he said, gesturing wildly to the body. 

A surprisingly gentle hand was placed on the necromancer’s shoulder. “There’s no need, leave him here. Maybe Jekyll can enjoy the treat.” He let his own familiar slither onto his arm and made his way to leave, not before looking at Edward one last time. “You did good, doctor. Rest easy.”

The door shut closed, leaving Edward to his thoughts-

Jekyll screeched loudly in delight, already standing beside the body.

-And a hungry bird.

Before Jekyll could get a few bites in, Edward examined the damage. Dark had stabbed deep. The cuts were all clean and precise, all aimed at vital organs and made to deform. Not even his mother would recognize him. Truly, Edward could fix him if he tried, but that would be tedious. His job was done anyways. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just morbid, but I got curious on what kinds of violence I can write. It’s alright? I guess? Not my strong suit, definitely, but there’s no harm in trying.
> 
> I finally settled on Dark’s powers and Edward’s familiar which is nice! I like the mad doctor trophe on Edward, creepy boi. Dark is just evil here, very fun. Every time I write Dark here he’s gonna be threatening. Just as a heads up.


	5. Just Making Sure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News of Eric's shop has officially spread to all of Dark's gang. While a new shop opening isn't exciting news, what is confusing is how Bim described him. Innocent and good? In this town? Too unlikely, no one believes him. So Dark assigns a spy mission to King to find some dirt on Eric, or, more specifically, assigns a mission for King's squirrels. After all, who would grow suspicious of a troop of adorable squirrels?

“He could be a spy,” Google said nonchalantly.

Bim slammed his hand against the meeting table. “I  _ will _ bet money on this. He’s just some random innocent guy.” 

“In  this  town? Doubt it,” Illinois laughed. “I’ll take you on that bet though, I could use a new hat.” 

“Your luck’s gonna run out, Illy.”

The point of this meeting was to discuss future schemes and new targets. Dark didn’t expect it to derail like this. One passing comment about the new potion maker, that’s all it took, and now they were at a point of no return. Curiosity was a dangerous emotion, or incredibly annoying in this case. This potion maker, Eric, would be a topic of focus for the time being. It’s not every day one man grabs the attention of an entire gang, for good reasons, at least. However, this unorganized talk was getting tiresome.

Dark folded his hands and placed them on the table. “Bim, you’ve met this man once.” His searing voice immediately silenced the group. “How can you know his intentions?”

Bim shifted in his seat as he thought about his next words carefully. “He’s so… innocent? I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’ve seen wannabe spies before. He doesn’t seem like one.” As he continued he furrowed his brows and looked more and more fascinated. “He’s a good guy, and pure-”

“As pure as the driven snow?” Dark cut him off, staring at him with an analyzing gaze.

Instantly Bim caved under the pressure. “Well, yeah, I… I guess so?”

“Then there’s something he’s hiding. No one here doesn’t have blood on their hands.”

The group fell silent, uncomfortably so. Dark reveled in their unease, however, Wilford broke the silence before the feeling could sink in. 

“I met him the other day! He’s as sweet as candy! As pure as a newborn puppy!”

“Though he acts more like a kicked one…” Bim raised his head again. There’s the confidence again. “I don’t know why he acts like that, maybe it was something I did?”

“It was definitely something you did,” Dark sighed.

Wilford hummed. “He acted all nervous around me too.”

“Then it was something you  _ both  _ did.” Dark cracked his neck, standing up and glaring at everyone. “Clearly this meeting has gone awry. If you all want to spend your time with your infatuations then so be it, just don’t be surprised when your latest sweetheart reveals his true colours.” 

“I’m telling you, this guy’s as innocent as I say he is,” Bim murmured.

Dark walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Alright then, Trimmer.” His grip tightened. “You hold onto that notion.” He looked at King from across the table, who flinched and looked back with fear. “King, follow me, I have a job for you. We’re going to investigate.”

  
  


A soft hum was the only sound within the quiet shop. Eric was taking the time to water his plants and herbs. For once, the day was peaceful, downright pleasant even. Either that or Eric was always anticipating some sort of chaos to happen. His day could go from zero to a hundred quickly, he had to take advantage of any peaceful moments he could capture.

Tulip watched unblinking as he worked, nose twitching in anticipation. Eric sighed with a fond smile and carefully picked off a leaf of basil. Within seconds it was gone, munched away by a ruthless Tulip. 

The day continued as such. As far as Eric could tell, today was a normal day. Slow business can be a saving grace sometimes. It meant no one could interrogate him or make him brew up another harmful potion. Speaking of potions he took the time to restock his shelves, he spent most of his time in the backroom with his ingredients.

Unbeknownst to him, there were spies amongst him. Very tiny spies.

King’s familiar, Princess, lead the charge. A cluster of her most trusted squirrel subjects followed her chittered commands, jumping from tree to tree. She differed from the other “commoner” squirrels, of course, she had elegance. 

A grey blur glided between the trees. Being a flying squirrel had its advantages, Princess landed onto the shop’s roof without any trouble, her loyal troops following suit. They positioned themselves accordingly, perching onto windows to spy on their target.

Eric was in the back room stirring his next concoction. A pinch of ground herbs, a sprig of enchanted flowers, and a touch of love and care. Also magic, lots of magic. Too preoccupied with the task at hand, he didn’t notice the sounds of little paws skittering nor the quick shadows of passing spies. Not that it damned his soul or anything, the plethora of spies was growing bored of his uneventful routine, staring at the peaceful scene.

By how Dark worded the mission made it seem like the squirrels would see Eric kill someone. Hours passed and now Eric was reading by a table in the main shop. It was even a cute light-hearted book. Princess huffed and scratched at her ears. Her troops were resting in a nearby tree, far too bored to spy any longer. She wasn’t going to give up that easily. Now perched on the windowsill that gave a good view of the entire main shop, she watched diligently. 

Her view of her target was abruptly blocked by a mass of white fluff. A bunny jumped up onto a nearby shelf next to the window, not noticing her presence yet. That moment was short-lived, however. The second the bunny noticed her it was chaos.

“Tulip?!” Eric jumped to his feet as Tulip ungracefully leaped from the shelf and dashed towards him. He looked at the window and saw Princess hideaway a second too late. “W-What’s that?” he questioned out loud.

Casting one more look at his poor familiar cowering, he cautiously made his way to the door and stepped outside. Princess pressed herself against the wall to hide, though that didn’t help her cover, none of her troops were around to help either. They had a silent stare off for a moment, then Eric’s eyes brightened and a small smile appeared on his lips.

He cooed softly at Princess and looked back at Tulip, who was still cowering. “It’s okay! Come on, it’s just - just a squirrel.” A much different squirrel than he was used to, much tinier, round, and curled into a ball and staring at him with big curious eyes. Quite eye-catching, and utterly adorable.

Tulip still wasn’t convinced and continued to hide under the table. This was normal behaviour for the bunny, especially in this town, her nervous habits became amplified. Though, to be fair, both her and Eric were always on their toes in this town. However, Eric could never be scared of such a cute animal. He hummed to himself and went back into the shop, walking into the backroom to get something.

Princess tilted her head as she was abandoned. Soon after, Eric returned with something in his hands. Perhaps he was about to reveal that evil side Dark told her and King about. Was she about to find out the harsh way?

A handful of sunflower seeds were placed on the windowsill. Then, Eric walked back inside to comfort Tulip, managing to pick her up and hug her. Princess hopped up and looked at the seeds with suspicion. Well… she was getting hungry from all the spying.

“Aw~ See, Tulip? The squirrel’s not gonna hurt you,” Eric reassured as he watched the squirrel feast on the seeds. He turned Tulip in his arms until she could see how harmless Princess was. The sight calmed her down slightly, her and Princess locked eyes for a brief moment before the squirrel returned to eating. 

For once, Tulip felt calm. On the flip side, Princess’ worries about Eric being evil vanished more and more with each seed she stuffed in her mouth.

Eric giggled and gently placed Tulip on the shelf in front of Princess. Only a window separated the two.

“W-Will you be - be okay, Tulip? I’m gonna, um, I should get more seeds.” Eric left and Tulip watched the squirrel eat with a sudden burst of confidence. Another squirrel, one of Princess’ troops, popped up to have a share of the food. Then another, then another, then another… A small cluster of squirrels gathered on the windowsill now. All of them looked like an average squirrel compared to Princess, and all of them made Tulip’s confidence falter. 

Princess allowed her subjects to have their share of the feast, glancing back into the shop. She caught sight of Tulip in front of her, ears flattened to her head and shaking slightly. Yet, Tulip stayed planted in place, staring at her with determination. Even with the window in the way she could understand what the bunny was doing. Facing her fears. 

Now that was a mindset royalty could appreciate. 

Before Tulip got too overwhelmed and hopped away, Princess tapped her paw on the glass to get her attention. As a sign of respect, she nudged her head against the glass and bowed the best she could. She’d love to give her new bunny friend a hug, but this damned glass was in the way! So she settled with the next best thing.

Tulip stilled and twitched her nose. Slowly, but surely she hopped closer and nudged her head against the glass. 

“Aw~!” Eric nearly dropped the seeds he was holding. “You made a friend!” 

The seeds were the last thing on Princess’s mind right now, though they were a welcomed luxury. Her new friend will make for a great subject.

“I  _ told  _ you,” Bim sneered at Dark. 

The meeting room had an air of confusion to it, with quiet murmuring amongst the egos. Dark paid no attention Bim’s snarky gaze, instead looking at King while he spoke in a smooth, albeit frustrated, tone. 

“You better not be lying to me.”

King cowered in his chair. “I’m not-! They didn’t find anything!” His crown was off and resting on his lap, temporarily housing Princess as she also cowered. “Eric’s really nice, he took care of my squirrels…” he trailed off with a small smile on his face, though that was quickly wiped off by Dark’s exasperated attitude. 

“How did he end up here?” Dark questioned out loud. 

“I don’t know,” Bim shrugged, “but he’s here now, and I think he doesn’t know what this town really is.”

Fascinated, that was the emotion that spread through the awkwardly quiet room. Not many believed someone so good waltzed into this town. Then again, perhaps they were too used to their vile ways to acknowledge the possibility of someone pure near them. 

_ ‘There must be something he’s hiding.’ _

That thought crossed everyone’s mind. A puzzle just waiting to be solved. A puzzle that they were going to figure out, one way or another.

It didn’t matter that this “puzzle” was going to be scared out of his wits, what mattered was finding out answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some silly softness for the soul. This is like a tipping point for the plot now, some more important stuff will happen soon!


	6. Picture Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author and Host are hard working guys, but sometimes they have to goof around a little on the job.
> 
> (This is a drabble I just whipped! I'm writing another part for this series and I'll post it soon. Also I gotta expand on these two more lol)

Author wiped the blood off his cheek with the back of his hand. He rested his bat on his shoulder as he looked down at him and his brother’s work. “Whew, that was tiring,” he gave a light chuckle, extending his free hand for a fist bump. “Good job!” 

Host gave a relieved sigh and returned the gesture. “Now all they need to do is take a picture and send it to Dark.” Their familiars fluttered to the ground and curiously sniffed at their “work.” 

At their feet, was a bloody heap of a man. Their latest hit. It was a simple job, and the twins didn’t have anything else to do so they might as well commit first-degree murder. What else was one to do on a Tuesday afternoon, after all? 

The fun wasn’t done just yet, apparently. Author stifled a laugh and handed his phone to Host. “I have an idea.” 

That was never a good sign. Host took the phone, but before he could ask what Author was doing, his brother crouched beside the body and posed for a picture. 

“Take the pic!” Author snickered, sticking out his tongue and winking at the camera. Licht even decided to get into frame, laying on the body and nipping at the dead man’s hand. 

“Seriously?” Host sighed. He shook his head, though there was a small smile on his face as he held back a laugh. 

“Yeah, it’ll be funny! Just take it.” 

“Alright...” Host lined up the shot and snapped a quick picture. Yep, that sure was Author posing casually beside a body. His brother was oddly photogenic considering he was the one that did most of the work on this job. 

Author laughed as he bounced back to his feet. He quickly went to Host and looked at the picture. “Oh good, I look hot,” he hummed. He took his phone back and prepared to send it to Dark.

“Is Author seriously sending that to Dark?” Host asked, knowing fully well what the answer was going to be. He didn’t need his magic to predict this. 

The look Author gave his brother was an expression that conveyed. _‘Yeah, no shit I’m gonna send it to him.’_ Setting everything up, he paused before he texted Dark. “Wait, don’t tell me what he’s going to say, I bet I can get it right.” He straightened his posture and looked serious. _“Why do I even let you work for me?”_ He guessed, making his voice gruff and deeper to mimic their boss. Though, he soon laughed again and was back to his cocky ways. “Am I right?” 

Host actually laughed alongside him at that terrible impression. “No, but Author’s close. It’s,” he mimicked Dark too, _“why do I even pay you?”_

Author tsked. “Damn...” he hit send, and no surprise, Dark texted back exactly what Host predicted. Should’ve guessed that. Putting his phone away, he patted Host’s shoulder and they began walking away from the scene. With a simple mutter from the narrating man, the body was pulled six feet under and the scene was basically cleaned up. 

“The Host believes Author should pay for lunch because he lost that bet,” he chuckled. Key perched on his shoulder and nodded enthusiastically. 

“Fine, that’s fair.” Author rolled his eyes, but grinned as they kept walking. Licht was close behind him, making a sound that was dangerously similar to a snicker. 

Just another day on the job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I'm so sorry for not posting anything in so long fkhsgk  
Things got busy but I promise I'm working on finishing some stuff! Imagine this drabble taking place a WHILE after that first story of these two. I have a whole backstory for them and everything. For Host and Author, stories of them might jump around in the timeline cause a lot of stuff happened before Eric moved into town lol

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little idea I had since I wanna write more AUs! I'll add more egos as I continue to write.
> 
> Tumblr: https://lamiasluck.tumblr.com


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